Fifty-Sixth Annual Report of the Receipts and Expenses of the City of Lewiston for the Fiscal Year Ending February 28, 1919
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The University of Maine DigitalCommons@UMaine Maine Town Documents Maine Government Documents 1919 Fifty-Sixth Annual Report of the Receipts and Expenses of the City of Lewiston for the Fiscal Year Ending February 28, 1919. Together with Annual Reports and Papers Relating to the Affairs of the City Lewiston (Me.) Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/towndocs Repository Citation Lewiston (Me.), "Fifty-Sixth Annual Report of the Receipts and Expenses of the City of Lewiston for the Fiscal Year Ending February 28, 1919. Together with Annual Reports and Papers Relating to the Affairs of the City" (1919). Maine Town Documents. 4873. https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/towndocs/4873 This Report is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@UMaine. It has been accepted for inclusion in Maine Town Documents by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UMaine. For more information, please contact [email protected]. * 6l H «v f K.! Fifty-Sixth Annual Report OF T H E RECEIPTS AND EXPENSES OF T H E City of Lewiston FOR T H E Fiscal Year Ending February 28 1919 TOGETHER WITH ANNUAL REPORTS AND PAPERS RELATING TO THE AFFAIRS OF THE CITY Printed By ECHO PUBLISHING COMPANY LEWISTON, MAINE CITY OF LEWISTON In Board of Mayor and Aldermen, March .12, 1919. ORDERED, The Common Council concurring, That the Committee on Printing be and is hereby authorized to have printed eight hundred copies of this year’s annual reports of the receipts and expenditures of the last year and included such other reports and public documents as in its judgment it may deem proper, expense of same to be charged to appro priation for printing when made. Read, passed and sent down. NAP. H. HAMEL, City Clerk. In Common Council, M arch 12, 1919. Read twice under suspension of the rules, and passed in concurrence. EDMOND M. CYR, Clerk. MAYOR 1917— 1918— 1919 MAYOR'S ADDRESS MARCH 17, 1919 •Gentlemen of the City Council. For the third time I stand here at the beginning of a municipal year as mayor of the city of Lewiston. Today we start upon a new administration the responsibility for which is bigger and more to be taken to heart than for many years. The problems of this year are many, and altho a majority of the city council were elected by a different political party from the one which elected me, it is my firm opinion that the tax-payers and citizens of Lewiston are tired of partisan politics and that this year they look to the members of the city government to get down to work with the best interests of the city ever be fore their minds, and with less thoughts of building up political fences at the city’s expense. It is with this firmly in my mind that I start out upon my third term as mayor. My experience teaches me that if the best public interest is to be served, if the tax-payers and citizens of the city of Lewiston are going to get the most for their money, politics and bickerings must cease. Much of the good name of the administration, I might say all, and surely the results, are in the hands of the city council. Especially is this true in the present administration. Common grounds embodying a clean progressive policy of economical measures, good business in the city dealings, openness and frankness, ought to be reached by the different political in terests if there are any in this administration. First, a common ground for work. The various pre election differences must be smoothed out and agreement made that the city council will work for the best interests of the city. Then there must be no embarking on a course of exten sion and lavish expenditure of the city’s money. The demands upon the city the last year and a half have been anything but ordinary. The demands and burden upon the city regarding cost of operation and increase in expenses do not appear to have ceased with peace nor to have lessened in any large degree. State and county taxes will be big. The demand upon the city will be larger than ever in its history. It means that to protect the people who pay the bills—and every one living in 4 CITY OF LEWISTON the city has more or less a share in paying the bills—every item of expenditures must be carefully looked into. The times demand retrenchment as surely as ever it was demanded of a city. I do not mean that needed repairs shouldn’t be made; I do not want to be misunderstood. If the schools, for instance, need certain supplies and would suffer in efficiency if the sup plies we 10 not provided; if buildings should be repa;~ed or health and safety threatened, I believe in hastening to do d ese things; but it is no time to make lavish expendituie to increase the beauty or adornment of property for those pu.- poses alone. It is going to be anything but an easy year. One of the first things we should give our attention to is a reception and celebration for the soldiers and sailors who have returned to Lewiston. There have been many of our young men in service overseas, and many more in training to go. The city should be proud of its record in the world war. We were extremely fortunate in having as few casualties as we did. I believe it is time that we give a fitting reception and celebration to men who are now home. I have no doubt that on this point the council will agree with me, and I would like to have committees appointed. I would suggest a large working committee, consisting of mem bers of the city council and men from outside the council. I am in favor of appropriating a sufficient sum to enteitain the returned soldiers and sailors in a manner which they will long remember. I believe this expenditure is justifiable. I hope that the visit of General Edwards to this city can be made to coincide with the day of our celebration. Regarding the financial condition, I have but little to- say, knowing well that you would need to see for yourselves. The City of Lewiston is in sound financial condition. It has been in no better for years, despite the vague reports and charges made by persons to the contrary. You will find that the floating debt of the City of Lewiston has been reduced several thousand dollars during the past year; you will find that business principles have been applied thruout the various city departments; you will see that retrenchment has been the guiding plan. The increased cost of operation of city depart ments has been stupendous, but by the wise counsel of the various department hdads and commissions, we have been spared the experience that hundreds of cities thruout the land have suffered. I employed successfully last year the budget system. I had estimates of costs made; I endeavored to have a construe- MAYOR’S ADDRESS S tive plan laid out as to repairs, new ventures in all depart ments, up-keep and ordinary expenses. I employed men ex pert in municipal problems and who have had the benefit of actual experience lay out the plan. We followed it as nearly as possible. I would command this idea to you—that if you do not sit down at the outset of this year, face the problems and decide upon what ought to be done, inquire into the financial obli gations involved, then follow your schedule, you will have trouble on your hands before the year is over. After the assessment of taxes is made, the rate fixed and the income determined, there is no legal manner in which the city can increase its revenue for that year, except by a system of saving and business conduct. And this only means that there might be more money in the treasury at the end of the year than otherwise, not that more money would come into the city. If for any reason, such as increased costs of operation from the time the budget is made and the end of the year, a greater demand is made upon the appropriation than was ex pected, bills remain unpaid, the city gets considerable notoriety and no object is attained. Unless you map out a course and follow it rigidly, some such thing will happen. The old-fashioned idea of rolling along and trusting there will be money left to pay salaries, at least in the month of February, ought not to be counternanced by this administration. I shall ask the city council to proceed toward making up the appropriation with the greatest of care. I believe they should engage assistance in this. There are several men in Lewiston whose business experience and whose experience in municipal affairs make them qualified to draw up a year’s plan with the advice and reports of the various heads of departments. I would be glad to suggest to the council at the proper time, the methods which we took in preparing our appropria tions for the year just completed. Later, after you have seen the results for yourselves, you will feel with me that such a course is the only one to follow this year. Regarding the various municipal departments which are operated by committees or commissions, I will refer you to their several reports. While as in case of .schools, streets, wa ter and fire departments, the affairs are under the direct super vision of the several committees, it is part of our duty to pro vide for them certain appropriations and authority.